Cheryl Sutherland is a speaker, consultant and coach. She got her start in personal development late 2012 and hasn’t turned back since. Born and raised in Canada, she’s actively following her purpose and has created a company that strives to empower women to live a life they love.
Her company, PleaseNotes, was created to help women rediscover their passion, create a plan to make it happen, and educate ladies on the tools and strategies to build up self-esteem and confidence to turn their passion into their pay check.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
My love of greatness. Not my personal accomplishments, but the feeling of seeing someone realize how amazing life actually can be, how great they actually are, and that we truly have the power to create whatever we want. I love personal development work, it’s the stuff that keeps me awake at night and fills me up, and I want more people to have access to it!
I had hit a point in my life where I realized I wanted to create more, do something that excites me and is of service to others. I’d been searching for that something by working at different places, volunteering… trying to find what my calling was. Then I realized, what I was looking for had to come from the inside. I had always loved affirmations, so I started really working with them. Once I did, I started feeling more confident and grounded. I was actually creating who I always wanted to be.
That’s when I knew this was the business I was supposed to build. I’ve worked for and with women entrepreneurs, and I feel like we are so powerful. We can do so much more, command respect and get things done, but I feel like usually it’s us holding ourselves back. That’s why I wanted to create something to support women. Men are more encouraging and less adversarial, women are usually pegged against one another, or think we have to fight each other for a position. That’s the old way of doing business and it’s time to put the put the ball back in our court.
Tell us about your business.
We empower women from the inside out. All of our products allow women to create clarity, to feel more confident, powerful, and creative, so they can do what they love, ask for what they want, and step up to leadership. Right now we have 5 main products: guided journals, notebooks, mirror decals, water bottle labels and sticky notes all filled with motivational quotes and affirmations, and of course, the more you use them, the better you feel!
We’re not just about having people feel good on the inside, we want them to make actual change in their lives. Our items are different because you can, and will use the tools when situations change and transitions come. The journal is particularly good for people transitioning through big life moments such as graduation, moving, deaths, switching jobs, etc.
We want to support women emotionally and spiritually, but financially too. That’s why we also donate 10% of our proceeds towards companies that support women in starting their own businesses.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
I’m going to be doing this amazing campaign this Fall called “What’s Your Hustle?” that showcases women that are doing the different things they love. Hopefully it will encourage other ladies that want to do the same to take action. There are going to be some cool limited edition goodies that come along with it too!
Additionally I have a kickstarter campaign going on right now, please check it out here.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
- Hit 150% of my goal on Kickstarter
- Leadership Coach through PSI Seminars
- Completed SCL at University of Santa Monica
- Completed the Basic Seminar, Life Success Course, Women’s Leadership, Pacesetters Leadership Dynamics through PSI Seminars
Where is your business based?
Los Angeles, CA.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
I did a Kickstarter at the tail end of last year to bring out The Journal. A bunch of my friends, family and amazing people I don’t know got some goodies, and then they gifted it to even more people. Word of mouth has been a really great way to get the word out so far.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
My biggest obstacle was my own self-doubt. There was a point where I was having issues finding a place that could actually make what I wanted, and then when I found them, they just kept having technical problems and delays. I was feeling like, maybe this wasn’t supposed to happen, then I realized it was actually a test to see if I was actually willing to push through those problems and hang in there. Needless to say, my manufacturer and I have an amazing relationship today!
How did you overcome these challenges?
Remembering that my business really isn’t about me, it’s about the people I’m here to serve, and also that I’m never alone. I have God, the Spirit, the Universe, whatever you want to call it, and I also have countless friends and loved ones that want to see me be successful.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
There isn’t any alternative for me. I’ve spent so much time off purpose – to do anything else other then this is like… why? It’s like marrying the guy who had a crush on you in high school instead of asking the love of your life out. I would be cheating myself. I also love hearing what people’s experiences have been with using the items! There’s nothing like someone telling you how something you created helped them, or allowed them to see something differently! That’s what it’s all about!
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
I like to think my line isn’t only empowering, but also super fun! You have to have fun when you’re looking at creating anything new or going through a change in your life. Change can be scary or an adventure, it’s your choice. Also, all of our items work really well together as well as separately. You can truly choose to supercharge your space, thoughts and emotions to always be moving upwards, once again, it’s up to you.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
You can only have your dreams if you believe you deserve them.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
- This will probably be the hardest thing you will ever do, but it’s also will be the most rewarding.
- Just don’t give up. It might need to shift or evolve, but don’t ever give up.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
I actually use Canva and Buffer a lot for my social media, especially my Instagram. It makes things so much easier!
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
I just finished reading “The Goal Book” by my friend Peter Jumrukovski. It’s filled with tons of exercises throughout the pages. I realized when I was writing out what freedom actually looked like for me, I was actually doing it right there and now. It was really cool!
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I’m in the process of scaling the business, so I’m looking for the right people to make my dream team! From investors to sales and marketing experts, I’m leveraging the law of attraction on this one!
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
There are some big sales goals I want to hit, but I also want to really get my awareness campaign going.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Facebook @PleaseNotes
Instagram @Please_Notes
Website www.PleaseNotes.com
Email PleaseDo@PleaseNotes.com
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